Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yorock’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yorock’, characterized by its upright plant habit; dark green-colored foliage; freely and uniformly flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences that are about 7 cm in diameter; attractive greyed purple-colored ray florets; strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yorock’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yorock’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create and develop new cut Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable floret coloration and good inflorescence form and substance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in March, 1999, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number R834, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number 1092, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in March, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable ray floret color and good inflorescence form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since May, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yorock have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yorock’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yorock’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright cut Chrysanthemum that is usually grown as a         naturally spray.     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences that are about 7 cm in         diameter.     -   5. Attractive greyed purple-colored ray florets.     -   6. Response time about 59 days.     -   7. Strong peduncles.     -   8. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage         maintaining good substance and color for about two weeks in an         interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more freely and         earlier than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selections differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have vibrant orange-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more freely and         earlier than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Falma, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,996. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Falma in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had shorter peduncles than         plants of the cultivar Falma.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week         earlier than plants of the cultivar Falma.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more freely than         plants of the cultivar Falma.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly larger         inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Falma.     -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Falma         differed in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Yorock’ grown as a disspray type.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yorock’ grown as a disspray type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bogota, Colombia in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the cut flowers, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 9° C. and light levels ranged from 3,000 to 4,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were grown as disspray cut Chrysanthemums. The photographs and measurements were taken when plants were about three months old.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yorock. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number R834, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1092, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten to 14 days with soil             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut flower that is             typically grown as a disspray type.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             101 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length: about 3 cm.             Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 8.5 cm. Width: About 3.7 cm. Apex: Acuminate. Base:             Attenuate with truncate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed;             sinuses mostly parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 147A. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147B. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B.             Petiole: Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals, arising from leaf axils. Ray and disc florets             develop acropetally on a capitulum. Uniformly flowering.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to two weeks             of long day/short night conditions after planting followed             by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower             about 59 days later when grown as a disspray type.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about two weeks in an interior environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about             eight to eleven inflorescences per stem develop.         -   Spray width.—About 16 cm.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.6 cm. Disc diameter: No disc florets observed.             Receptacle diameter: About 2.2 cm. Receptacle height: About             1.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Ovoid. Height: About 1.8 cm.             Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Color: 183A.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong to ligulate. Surface:             Concave to flat. Aspect: About 45° to 60° from vertical.             Length, outer ray florets: About 4 cm. Width, outer ray             florets: About 9 mm. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety; longitudinally ridged. Number of             ray florets per inflorescence: About 252 arranged in             numerous rows. Color: When opening, upper surface: 185A.             When opening, lower surface: 178B. Fully opened, upper             surface: Rustier than 185A; color does not fade with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: 180B.         -   Disc florets.—No disc florets observed.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence/arrangement: About 28             arranged in about three to four whorls. Length: About 8 mm.             Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: 147B. Color, lower surface: 148A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 12 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 18.5 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 21 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged.             Color: 148B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 4A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:             Close to 4C. Ovary color: Close to 145C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 4° C. and     high temperatures of about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yorock’ as illustrated and described. 